The Ball of Stolen Stares

The invitation arrived on thick, cream-colored parchment, sealed with gold wax bearing the emblem of a swan in flight. The handwriting was elegant and cruelly tidy — the kind that suggested old money and even older gossip.

"A ball?" Alexendra asked, squinting at the swirling letters as Charlotte read them aloud.

"Yes!" Charlotte practically vibrated with excitement. "It says we're invited to the Grand Spring Ball at the Countess's estate."

Alexendra clicked her tongue. "Balls… Absurd. Overwrought excuses for idle gossip and blistered feet."

But when Charlotte folded her hands together and begged, eyes shining with hope and mischief, Alexendra capitulated in a sigh. "All right. But only because I will not have you wander into a nest of snakes by yourself."

In the evening of the ball, Charlotte assisted Alexendra in getting dressed in a delicate midnight-blue gown, the material glinting like the reflection of moonlight across water. Alexendra insisted on putting on pants beneath for protection — something she was extremely proud of.

Charlotte wore a pale pink dress covered with tiny embroidered violets, her hair coiled up into deliberate loops by the maids. Yet the most significant accessory was her steady hold of Alexendra's arm.

"Head high, chin up," Charlotte instructed as they entered the grand hall. "We're unstoppable."

The ballroom burst into applause and polite gasps as they arrived. Crystalline chandeliers hung like frozen stars above them. Musicians played a gentle waltz, and the marble floors gleamed so brightly that Alexendra almost lost her footing — until Charlotte tugged her confidently forward.

The moment they stepped deeper inside, whispers bloomed like poisonous flowers.

"Isn't that the blind marquis's wife?!"

"I heard she once tossed a book at his head!"

"Sad, really. she's absolutely helpless without a guide."

Charlotte's fingers tightened around Alexendra's arm, warning her to be silent, but Alexendra merely gave a quick, icy laugh.

When a passing lady of rank made a commiserating curtsy and started, "My dear, it must be so difficult to go out in your state—"

Alexendra stood up, turned her face abruptly toward the woman, and snapped, "Condition? My only condition tonight is listening to your ear-piercing voice. Spare your pity for someone who asked for it."

Charlotte held back on her giggle by a hair. She stood tall, preening, feeling taller than the chandeliers.

Another young man advanced, trying a gallant bow. "Lady Alexendra, would I have the honor of escorting you through the crowd—"

Alexendra rolled her eyes. "I already have the best guide," she snapped, inclining her head toward Charlotte. "And she doesn't smell like cheap cologne."

Charlotte almost doubled over laughing as the young man stuttered and fell backward.

Throughout the evening, Charlotte guided them effortlessly. She whispered each step ahead of her, told them about the hue of the gowns and the design of the pastries, read all the compliments she was getting live like a stage narrator.

When a dance was in order, Charlotte took Alexendra's hands and walked her slowly on the perimeter of the ballroom, paying no attention to the stares and snickers.

"You're doing wonderfully," Charlotte murmured, guiding her feet.

Alexendra smirked, cheeks faintly pink. "Try not to gloat, sprout."

"I'm not gloating! I'm proud," Charlotte declared.

Near the end of the evening, the marquis appeared from a distant conversation, his expression unreadable. But when he saw Charlotte and Alexendra dancing — Charlotte's earnest focus and Alexendra's fierce scowl softened into the beginnings of a smile — something in his eyes warmed.

Maybe for the first time, the whole ballroom regarded them not as tattered fragments of a scandalous jigsaw puzzle, but as something strange and beautiful and glowing.

When they finally came home that evening, Charlotte unfastened Alexendra's dress and pants, both of them tired and exhilarated.

"Did I do okay?" Alexendra asked softly, almost like a bashful child.

Charlotte squeezed her hand. "You were wonderful. No one in that hall dared to look down on you tonight. You dazzled them."

Alexendra let out a deep breath and smiled weakly. "Good. Because I'm going to continue shining, no matter if they like it or not."